1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mounts, specifically an apparatus for holding a portable electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A camera or other portable electronic device may be mounted on a tripod; a tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the vertical axis. The positioning of the three feet away from the vertical centre allows the tripod better leverage for resisting lateral forces. Tripods have the disadvantage of being heavy and bulky although they can be used with large equipment. Tripods are used for both motion and still photography to prevent camera movement and provide stability. Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are described below in their own words, and the supporting teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,684,694, issued to Fromm, discloses a camera support assembly including an elongated support, such as a extensible support, which support extends between a base assembly and a handgrip, whereby a user of the camera may secure a camera to the base assembly and, while holding the handgrip, position the camera a distance away, which may be greater than arms length, to capture a still or moving image of the user, of an obstructed scene, or of hard to reach and/or unsafe areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,955, issued to McGill, discloses a support stand includes a base and a mounting post that is collapsible into the base. The support stand can be extremely compact and nearly flat with a very small height. The support stand also is very easy to use and can be quickly set up and utilized with a camera or other device to be mounted thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,672, issued to Tsay, discloses an improved mobile phone holder includes a phone seat body adapted for clamping and holding a mobile phone, an adapter seat provided at a lower end portion of the phone seat body adapted for electrical connection with a car's power source, and a receiving seat coupled onto the phone seat body and being provided with a connector for insertable connection with the mobile phone to permit electrical connection to cause internal paths to charge the mobile phone and to allow use of the mobile phone in a hand-free state. The receiving seat is replaceable with receiving seats having different connectors to adapt to different models of mobile phones. A shaft is disposed between an insertable connecting seat and the phone seat body to pivotally connect an arm rod for inter-connection. Each seat rod and the shaft are formed with inter-engageable toothed rims in corresponding positions. A compression spring is disposed between the other end of the shaft and the corresponding end of the seat rod to push one end of the shaft to cause the shaft to displace so that the toothed rims disengage from each other to allow relative rotation so as to permit change of relative angles thereof. When released, the compression spring's resetting force causes the shaft to return to its original state with the toothed rims engaged, thereby facilitating adjustment operation, enhancing stability, and preventing displacement and loosening of the mobile phone holder when subjected to vibration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,556, issued to Chen, discloses a cellular phone securing device has a fixing unit and a flexible tube, a linkage rod and a phone securing mount. The fixing unit is provided with a horizontal slide board, and a vertical contact member and a pair of bolts. The slide board and the contact member are one way adjustably limited in place and the bolts are selectively attached to the underside of the fixing unit.
In mounting of the securing device, the slide board and the contact member are adjusted to abut against a windshield of a vehicle and the bolts are in abutment with the edges of outlets of a ventilation system of the vehicle whereby the bolts and the slide board and the contact member constitute a three-point supporting of the fixing unit. The phone securing mount is adhered to a flat place of the front console board of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,196, issued to Protzman, discloses a camera support adapted to be attached to an automobile window or similar, plate-like surface. The support includes a base frame, a pair of clips adapted to engage over an upper edge of a window, and a pair of downwardly projecting legs adapted to engage the inner surface of the window. A camera platform is mounted on the base frame in a manner that provides for movement of the camera platform about at least two mutually perpendicular axes.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include being difficult to use, being unduly complex, being expensive, being limited in motion, being limited in adjustability, being too bulky, being difficult to set up, being cumbersome to use, being limited in use, failing to permit a user to aim a camera in any direction, having only a single mode, not holding a camera securely, not being stable, requiring a user to be at the location of the object during use, and failing to couple to other objects/surfaces.
What is needed is an apparatus for holding a portable electronic device that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.